Dear Friends of 3DE!

Today we uploaded the first beta version of Release 4. Its main feature is a new infrastructure for network calculation, which allows to perform much faster parameter adjustments and dynamic curve calculations. It (more or less) automatically makes use of the spare CPU time of your colleague's machines and distributes calculation jobs over the local area network. How much CPU cores are allowed to be used by other people can be defined individually within 3DE's prefs. In addition, standalone render nodes can be installed on dedicated machines (such as render walls). These standalone render nodes do not require a license, so there is (theoretically) no limit in terms of how many CPU cores a 3DE calculation network can contain!

Usually "brute force" calculation benefits most of this new infrastructure - it scales linear with the number of available CPU cores. So, in comparison to a regular user machine (8 cores), a 1000 core calculation network is about 125 times faster!

3DE4 r4b1 also allows to send adaptive calculation jobs through the network, but the speed benefit is limited. Due to the nature of this calculation method only about 28 cores can be used in parallel which results in a speed boost of approximately 2. But the last words are not yet spoken on this...

Here is a brief listing of other new features which come with r4b1:

• 3DE's image controls can now be accessed through python and there is a new script for animating image controls
• there is a new python command & script for saving out depth maps
• Lineup Controls provides a new option which forces 3DE only to use lineup only survey points

Please see changelog below for more details!

Cheers, Rolf

r4b1

• introduced a new framework for network calculation (parameter adjustment, dynamic curve calculation)
• python command saveRenderCacheFrame() now provides subpixel accuracy (offset_x/y parameters)
• python command saveRenderCacheFrame() now uses a black background
• python command saveRenderCacheFrame() is now about 10% faster
• updated "render out" script taking changes to saveRenderCacheFrame() into account (v1.3)
• added python command saveRenderCacheZBuffer() for saving out depth map image files
• added script "render out depth mpas" (overview controls)
• added an option for defining the line rendering width used by 3DE's overview controls and render output
• added python commands for accessing 3DE's new line rendering width attribute
• added python commands for accessing a project's motionblur samples
• added a number of python commands for accessing 3DE's image controls features
• added a script for animating image controls (motiontracking controls)
• fixed a problem which caused python scripts not being able to modify camera paths properly
• added 2D & 3D point color settings to 3DE's "point defaults" script (v1.1)
• patched an OpenGL performance problem (OSX 10.8 or higher)
• added playback range indicators to deviation browser, curveand timeline editor
• added duplicate lens script (object browser>context menu)
• improved script "import raw lidar scan" (y-up/z-up option, reduce point density option, v1.1)
• disabled 3DE's "auto levels" feature (import float footage, 8 bit color conversion)
• added a new script for modifying a 3D model's pivot point (orientation controls)
• added new frame range options to script "reel in points" (v1.4)
• updated script "create dyn. curve keys" now allowing to choose between focus and focal length (v1.1)
• reduced min. focus limit to 1 cm (calculate dynamic curve requester)
• added a new option to lineup controls which forces 3DE to ignore non "lineup only" points for calculation
• updated script "match frame all" (ignore non "lineup only" points option, v1.1)
• hidden 3D models are now displayed in dark grey (object browser)
• added python commands for accessing a camera's shutter angle
• added a script for reversing the tracking curves of all selected points (motiontracking controls)
• fixed a number of calculation core related bugs